Coronavirus lockdown made many of us anxious. But for some people, returning to 'normal' might be scarier

We surveyed a representative sample of Australian adults at the end of March, about a week after restaurants and cafes first closed, and with gatherings restricted to two people. Even at this early stage, it was clear levels of depression and anxiety were much higher than usual in the community. Surprisingly, exposure to the coronavirus itself had minimal impact on people’s mental health. We found the social and financial disruption caused by the restrictions had a much more marked effect.